Giving back to the community is, like a pet, not just for Christmas. And Cornwall has lots of businesses that live by that dictum. So, here is a round up of some of the duchy’s most kind-hearted companies, which have helped others at the festive period and throughout the year.
Sharp’s BreweryTeam members of Rock-based Sharp’s Brewery, as a main sponsor of Surfers Against Sewage’s (SAS) Million Mile Beach Clean through its Atlantic Pale Ale brand, donned waterproofs and braved the elements to support the final mile of the biggest and most active beach clean campaign.
The brewery team joined the SAS team, and over 100 supporters and volunteers, at Perranporth Beach in October. The Million Mile Clean was developed by SAS to connect beach cleaning action throughout the year with a target of getting 100,000 volunteers walking 10 miles whilst cleaning the places they love.
To maximise support for the clean-up campaign, the team also packaged up 100 Atlantic Clean Up Pods which will be sent to Sharp’s Atlantic Pale Ale customers across the UK over the next few months.
These consist of branded litter pickers, reusable bags and hand sanitiser which customers can use to conduct their own regular beach cleans and litter picks.
Over recent years, Sharp’s Atlantic Pale Ale has supported beach cleans across the county, including National Trust’s Holywell Bay, Falmouth’s Greenbank beach and Polzeath.
Sharp’s Atlantic Pale Ale has also in recent years donated funds to SAS via its work on Keynvor – the Cornish word for ocean – a project that combined the voice of the sea with new music from ambient artist Sebastian Plano and went on to create the industry-first playable record made from recycled plastic washed up on beaches with Nick Mulvey.
In addition, via an advertising campaign through Good Loop, Sharp’s contributed a further £25,000 to the Cornwall-based environmental charity.
Read More Related Articles Plymouth’s most kind-hearted businesses and who they’ve helped in 2021 Read More Related Articles The South West’s kindest businesses in 2020 Cornish Lithium Cornish Lithium’s Jeremy Wrathall and Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Rowan Hartgroves at the Bissoe Valley Nature ReserveCornish Lithium, the mineral exploration and development company headquartered at Tremough Innovation Centre in Penryn, became a Guardian of Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Bissoe Valley Nature Reserve.
The site of the 7.7-acre Bissoe Valley Nature Reserve was originally used as an arsenic refinery until its closure after World War II. It then lay derelict until it was transformed into a recreational space in 1986.
Intensive conservation was required to decontaminate the soil and Cornwall Wildlife Trust continued this work when the location was gifted to it in 2000.
The reserve incorporates the coast-to-coast Bissoe Trail, which was used as a mineral tramway for the copper mines around Redruth in the 1800s and is now a popular leisure destination.
Cornish Pudding Company, Blystra Arts, Chris Nixon Action for Children is funded by Cornwall Council but enjoys the kindness of duchy companies tooMore than 40 families with disabled children supported by Action for Children’s Cornwall SPACE project came together for a Christmas celebration weekend at St Blazey’s Fourways centre.
While the Cornish Pudding Company treated guests to Christmas treats and mulled apple juice, Newquay’s Blystra Arts offered inclusive performances of its play Morgawr: Story of the Sea for families to watch in small, Covid-secure groups.
Artist Chris Nixon also ran craft workshops where children made jellyfish and sea creature puppets from willow, which were then lit up in the performances.
Funded by Cornwall County Council, Action for Children’s SPACE gives disabled children and young people across Cornwall exciting new activities to try, whilst providing families with an all-important short break. The services also run youth groups for disabled young people in St.Blazey, Hayle and Bodmin.
Bishop Fleming Ally Allington, Kevin Connor and Alison Oliver of Bishop FlemingTruro-based accountancy firm Bishop Fleming joined with a Cornish dive centre to enable 400 teenagers to learn to scuba dive.
The firm worked in partnership with Dive Project Cornwall, sponsoring its education programme, helping to educate and raise awareness of the importance of the planet’s marine environment.
Dive Project Cornwall is delivered in two parts – an education programme and an experience opportunity. The overall initiative will educate hundreds of thousands of young people and millions through promotional features via media partners and strong collaborations with ocean charities.
The experience opportunity will enable 400 lucky teenagers to win a once in a lifetime experience, where they will undertake a life-changing trip to Cornwall for 6-days; they will learn to scuba dive, undertake beach activities, and learn from marine experts.
Bishop Fleming joined the project as a business committed to protecting the environment as a responsible company and operating as a sustainable business.
Newquay BID Newquay Business Improvement District (BID) has supported the Trenance Cottages Newquay charityNewquay Business Improvement District (BID) has supported the Trenance Cottages Newquay charity by donating £1,000 which went towards paying for a 15-foot Christmas tree and lights. This follows on from the Cottage’s successful application to tap into the Newquay BID 2021/2022 funding pot.
The grant application process was open to all businesses, commercial organisations, voluntary and community groups and event organisers who are proposing events within the Newquay BID boundary area.
The specific BID funding pot was created to assist with the running of new or pre-existing events, and it is aimed at adding value and increasing the event offering in fruitful ways.
Persimmon Three charities from Persimmon Homes’ Cornwall region were awarded a share of a £1m fund in 2021Three charities from Persimmon Homes’ Cornwall region were awarded a share of a £1m fund supporting under-18s as a part of the successful Persimmon Homes Building Futures campaign.
Plastic Free Falmouth, Children’s Sailing Trust and Home-Start Kernow were among 96 organisations to reach the final stage of the Building Futures competition and were each awarded £5,000.
With £128,000 already awarded this year in £1,000 grants through Building Futures, the total prize pot was £1.073m.
Three finalists were each awarded the top prize of £100,000, three the second prize of £50,000 and three the third prize of £20,000. The remaining finalists were handed £5,000 each.
Atkins Ferrie Hannah Collison and Tom Tripp, directors of Cornwall’s Atkins FerrieAtkins Ferrie Chartered Accountants, based in Helston, marked its 30th anniversary in business in 2021 with a celebration of wellbeing in the workplace.
Cornwall Chamber of Commerce announced during this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week that it plans to publish a Wellbeing in the Workplace policy to provide company owners and managers with best practice guidance relating to health and wellness as employees navigated a return to the office following lockdown.
Atkins Ferrie applauded this support for those who have struggled with mental health issues brought on by isolation and anxiety, and championed the correlation between wellbeing at work and staff retention.
“Having created a pleasant, fit-for-purpose working environment, we continually review best practice around issues such as the impact of Covid-19, female health and physical and mental wellbeing to benefit our staff,” said director Hannah Collison.
Celtic and Co Cornwall fashion brand Celtic & Co made its second £10,000 charity donation in 2021Fashion brand Celtic & Co made its second £10,000 charity donation within 12 months. After supporting Newquay Foodbank in December 2020, the company chose another charity, Young Lives vs Cancer, formerly known as CLIC Sargent, which offers support to stop cancer destroying young lives.
Having been faced with financial problems due to Covid-19 and the difficulty to raise money with events, Young Lives vs Cancer had to decrease its team. Celtic & Co helps and supports this charity so it can continue.
Donating to charities is one aspect of the sustainable work ethic of the company. As Covid-19 affected many charities’ ability to raise money, profits from the sales of itsd Knitted Face Mask went towards a charity organisation.
Staff voted for Young Lives vs Cancer as the beneficiary for the next donation and also collected money through an internal Christmas jumper charity event, during which almost £200 was contributed by 80 staff.
The company also committed to direct £1 per order on Black Friday and the adjoining Saturday towards fundraising for Young Lives vs Cancer, which all led to the amount of £10,000.
Last year in Cornwall, Young Lives vs Cancer supported 82 families, giving out 47 financial grants to the value of £9,170.
Philema Hospitality Management The Esplanade Hotel in Newquay, CornwallThe family-owned hospitality group doubled its charitable efforts to give back to the community and its staff this year.
Philema Hospitality Management, which comprises Fistral Beach Hotel and Spa and The Esplanade Hotel in Newquay, Cornwall, and Boringdon Hall Hotel & Gaia Spa in Devon, launched several charitable initiatives that guests, staff and the community could become involved in.
Aiming to raise £10,000, the company has been supporting, sponsoring and raising money for causes including the Renal Unit at the Royal Cornwall Hospital Treliske, The Mustard Tree Fund, Disc Newquay, Newquay Lions Club and Brad Pauls.
Teams across the South West held cake sales, raffles and provided free tea and cake to passers-by for donation. As well as raising money, staff take part in several beach cleans throughout the year.
In addition to community efforts, a £10,000 Staff Emergency Fund was created to support employees with interest-free loans. This year has caused unprecedented financial strain on employees of the hospitality industry, particularly in the South West where it accounts for around 8.5% or about 250,000 jobs.
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TregonethaThe award-winning owner of a self-catering property in Tregonetha, near Padstow, was praised for his “kindness and care” in returning a booking deposit to guests having to cancel a stay this autumn.
Stephen Chidgey said he was incensed by the “profiteering in the extreme” mentality exhibited by some tourism providers. He said exceptional demand has led to a 40% increase in the weekly self-catering prices being charged by some businesses, regardless of quality, facilities or cleanliness.
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